Some Curses of Being Highly Sensitive
People who are highly sensitive, often struggle with the following:
1. They are easily overwhelmed, and often feel stressed through being overstimulated: That is, they often feel exhausted, stressed, worn out and worn down by processing so much detail - or through vicariously experiencing too much pain in the lives of others.
2. They are more personally affected by others’ emotions: Thus, they find it hard to detach themselves, or throw off the feelings and heartache of others. Instead, they tend to absorb anger, pain and distress when others around them are experiencing these.
3. They need more time and space for themselves: In order to restore their boundaries, to refresh their minds and renew their energy, highly sensitive people need to retreat, and to spend time alone. Unfortunately, others may jude them as being unsociable as they don’t understand their need to withdraw.
4. They may feel driven by unhealthy perfectionism: They often have unrealistic expectations, and are harsh, unforgiving and demanding of themselves. This is because they overanalyse, and worry about what other people think and want. (Related to this, many highly sensitive people also suffer from low self-esteem.)
5. They may feel out of sync with the people around them: The western world values extroverted people who are confident, lively and highly sociable. This can add extra pressure to more sensitive people who are cautious, and careful of the judgments of others. They can also feel they’re seen as being too sensitive, or as too emotional, or not tough enough.
For more information see: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/03/28/5-gifts-of-being-highly-sensitive/
“The highly sensitive tend to be philosophical or spiritual in their orientation, rather than materialistic or hedonistic. They dislike small talk. They often describe themselves as creative or intuitive. They dream vividly, and can often recall their dreams the next day. They love music, nature, art, physical beauty. They feel exceptionally strong emotions—sometimes acute bouts of joy, but also sorrow, melancholy, and fear. Highly sensitive people also process information about their environments—both physical and emotional—unusually deeply. They tend to notice subtleties that others miss—another person’s shift in mood, say, or a lightbulb burning a touch too brightly.”
—Susan Cain
